Sunday, September 11, 2016

The Friendship Tour - part one

Ontario and Quebec May 18th to June 12th, 2016

The purpose of The Friendship Tour to reconnect with friends and family we hadn't seen in a number of years was its own reward. We flew from Calgary to London, Ontario where we were met by Lori McCluskey, with whom we have a precious, long history. In Hamilton, Bill attended high school with her husband, Ed, who departed this world much too early, eleven years ago. We enjoyed Lori's hospitality, plus her son and his wife made us most welcome at both their Turkey Point cottage and their home. Bill is Eric's Godfather.

Lori, at Eric's and Roseanne's Thames River side home, May 23rd

The McCluskeys were who saw us off at Tobermory when we permanently left Ontario for Alberta, August 31, 1972

Lori has been west a number of times, with and after Ed's death, but it had been years since we'd visited her home. What a thrill it was for me to be reacquainted with several antiquated Saltiel paintings, none of which I had a photographic record of ...

A few short months after we were settled in Banff, the McCluskeys came west and spent Christmas with us - actually two Christmases in a row. Upon seeing and being gifted the two drawings above, it was Ed who suggested we make prints of my Rocky Mountain wildlife. In 1973 we started, and gradually enlarged our successful business of reproducing my art.

Leaning Shed 1976 watercolour 8" x 10"

Our next stop was Grimsby, Ontario to spend a couple of days with our Best Man, Bob, and his wife Christine. Bill and Bob went to high school together, also with Ed. At the time of our wedding Bob had not yet met Christine.

The Matoteks indulged us and honoured my request to visit nearby Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake. Bob and Christine didn't have a painting of mine but I rectified that on this trip with a thank you gift ...

2 comments:

Oh what an artful trip down memory lane. That Turneresque tugboat is beautiful, and what a delight to see those miniature Banff- and Canmore-area Rocky Mountains. Your cats are delightful, and I love the story of Ed suggesting the prints - what a journey he started you on.

Your re-connection with friends from your youth was just a lovely idea; I'm looking forward to more of these posts! xo